'We Run for Africa – Dakar 2026 Flame Tour Toolkit' sparks continent-wide engagement

PARIS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 25th Jul, 2026) As the countdown to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) reaches 100 days, a new educational resource developed as part of the Olympic Values education Programme (OVEP) – the “We Run for Africa – Dakar 2026 Flame Tour Toolkit” – has been launched.

The toolkit invites African National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and Olympafrica centres to organise sports and educational activities that engage young people in celebrating the arrival of the Youth Olympic flame and promoting the Olympic values ahead of the Dakar 2026 YOG, the first Olympic sporting event to be held in Africa.

The toolkit builds on the success of the Road to Dakar 2026 initiative, which brought together more than 25 Olympafrica centres in 2025 to mark one year to go until Dakar 2026. African NOCs are once again invited to take part in a continent-wide activation, using sport and movement to bring the Olympic values to life and build momentum ahead of the YOG.

Designed for delivery primarily through Olympafrica centres, the toolkit provides practical guidance for organising a one-day educational and sports relay with the theme “Pass the Energy”.

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Through a combination of physical activity and educational sessions, young people will have the opportunity to discover the Olympic values while celebrating a historic milestone for the continent.

“As an Olympian, I know the feeling that the Olympic flame can create,” said International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry. “It brings excitement. It brings people together. And it reminds us that sport has the power to inspire us to dream bigger.”

Olympic Solidarity will provide funding to each participating African NOC organising activities on 12 September to celebrate the arrival of the Youth Olympic flame on African soil.

The Youth Olympic flame will arrive in Dakar on 12 September and embark on a nationwide journey across all 14 regions of Senegal, before returning to the capital ahead of Dakar 2026. This will mark a defining moment: Africa welcoming the Youth Olympic flame and sharing its energy with the world.

The Dakar 2026 YOG will take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026, bringing together around 2,700 young athletes aged up to 17 across three host zones: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.